Posted on 04/08/2004 8:20:57 AM PDT by TheStickman
It's been a bit over 2 months since I posted I was seriously considering converting to Catholicism and I wanted to let folks know where things stand right now.
1st off, I AM converting. While the journey is long with with God's guiding Hand I am confident I will see it through.
Since attending my 1st Mass I find myself compelled to attend Mass each time one is celebrated. Neither I, nor my family ever imagined I would voluntarily get up at 6am for ANYTHING...let alone to attend 7am Mass, but I am. I never imagined myself EVER going to church in the afternoon just to pray. I never dreamed I could ever honestly make this statement, but it's true: God has touched me and I am so very grateful.
2ndly, I want to thank all of your wonderful people who've freepmailed and emailed me to let me know you were going to pray for me. I hope you will continue to do so. So many of the people I've met at the church have offered to pray for me and our family after learning we were thinking of coming into the Church. Again, I am very grateful and humbled.
There's a LOT of learning, prayer and study ahead. Wife and I are beginning the paperwork process to deal with our previous marriages and we plan to start RCIA in the fall. Our daughter has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic and may be attending the same class which could be very interesting.
Again, thank you for your prayers and support. God Bless:)
Of course you're welcome to sit in on a Mass. (Everyone was very welcoming to us when we showed up out of the blue.) If you want to, call the church office and find out which service is the children's or family service on Sunday. That would be a good service to start with. (Here, the 9 o'clock service is the family service. When we were looking, we went to the later 11 o'clock service because my kids are older and I wanted to hear the adult choir.)
One thing you may find unusual, coming from the Presbyterians, is that communion is given at every service, and only Catholics can receive communion in the Catholic church. But if you like you can go up to the rail (or to the steps if there isn't a rail), just cross your arms over your chest and the priest will give you a blessing instead.
(My mom was a Presby before she joined the Episcopal church when she married dad - we were also Episcopal until a short time ago. Mom and dad have a better bishop than we did . . . :-D )
The missalette (the little paperback book in the pews) will drive you nuts because you have to keep flipping back and forth between the prayers for the particular service (in the middle by date) and the Order of Mass (in the front.) But don't worry, it gets easier!
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